


Most Likely To Succeed

by Latia



Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa: The Academy of Hope and the High School Students of Despair
Genre: F/M, Gen, Major Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-19
Updated: 2012-11-19
Packaged: 2017-11-19 01:24:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/567454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Latia/pseuds/Latia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They may not be the most normal class in the world, but that doesn't mean they can't try.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Most Likely To Succeed

**Author's Note:**

> Major endgame spoilers.

It’s a regular Monday when Ishimaru goes to the front of the room. Everyone is the same shade of skim-milk pale, sun-starved and listless in their seats. Their eyes, as hopeful as they are, all of them have the same tired, bruised-looking gaze. 

All of this is forgotten the moment Ishimaru squeaks out one word on the chalkboard.

Togami is the first to speak, eyes narrowed. “Yearbook?”

“For all of its previous classes, Hope’s Peak Academy has created a yearbook to document the events and activities of the year!” Ishimaru declares, practically buzzing at the edges with pride. “It’s a time-honored tradition, one dedicated to the preservation both of achievement and fond, youthful memories of the student body!”

A smatter of awkward murmurs. “Um,” Asahina speaks up, “we kind of know what yearbooks are, Ishimaru-kun. I’m preeeetty sure all schools have them.”

“And that is EXACTLY the point!” Ishimaru punctuates himself with a triumphant fist on the desk. “All schools follow this tradition, we are a school, therefore, we must follow it!” He pauses, and then adds  _ ~~almost asks~~  _“…We are the 78th class of Hope’s Peak Academy. We are no different than any other high school class…are we not?”

The way he hesitates, the way he looks past the windows barred tight shut with steel and instead at fifteen other pairs of eyes, almost as if asking for permission to believe they are just yet another normal high school class, is what gets everyone’s attention.

Maizono appoints herself Yearbook Manager (privately. Ishimaru is of course technically in charge of it, as he is in charge of everything), being surprisingly skilled with management and crafts. Fukawa, after much coaxing and calming, manages to get pulled in as well, being quite a helping hand with her scissors. (Maizono is careful to make sure the Yearbook Room doesn’t have a speck of dust in it). But besides their official ”staff,” soon everyone is able to contribute.

Getting pictures is easy. All of them are quick to draw cameras at even the most mundane of activities, just for the sake of preserving a funny moment or a fun event ~~_and because they needed to preserve all they could_ , the Headmaster’s voice murmurs  solemn and small at the back of sixteen heads~~.

Still, none of them are Super High School Level Photographers, and it shows. Most of the shots are candid and often had at least one person cut out (“You can’t even see my face in half of these!” Junko grumbles), but they all carry a sort of charm to them, awkward yet sincere. And as their corkboards become swarmed with photos, as lists are formed then outvoted, as their yearbook grows and grows, they all get a spring back in their step. Working towards their mutual goal makes them all feel like a normal group of kids again, as if they’re any other ragtag high school class that don’t stare at windows that show no light, kids who don’t have to lie awake at night and try so, so hard not to think of might be happening outside.

Then come the titles.

Junko wins 'Best Dressed' as expected, though rumor had it that Celes had provided a bit of competition. Kirigiri wins 'Best Hair' to her surprise (and to the barely concealed chagrin of one Byakuya Togami), and Hagakure scrutinizes his 'Most Likely to Appear on the News' ribbon as if he can’t tell whether to be honored or offended. 

There’s a bit of a struggle between Sakura, Asahina, and Leon for Most Athletic until the girls simply decide to share the title. They invite Leon as well, but he politely declines (he didn’t even want to be on the roster). He has a much more important title in mind.

“Oh, come on guys,” Maizono stammers as Asahina smiles and drags her to the front of the camera lens where Leon waits. “You can’t have a 'Cutest Couple' if there’s only one couple in the entire class…”

Fukawa grumbles something that sounds suspiciously like " _Byakuya-sama_ ” from the corner, but the others give nothing but grins as the two try to pose. For once Leon doesn’t try throwing the horns, opting instead to slip an awkward arm around Maizono’s waist. Maizono blushes, Leon blushes, Mondo gives a cough-laugh and surreptitiously flashes the boy a thumbs-up.

“Ready?” Naegi calls. They look at each other and give small smiles. They are. “Okay, 3, 2, 1…”

( _and the knife slides out of her stomach as easy as butter. Sayaka’s legs twitch stubbornly under her weight before she collapses against the wall, her fingers closing and open uselessly at the cold tile. Something bubbles thickly at the corner of her lips, and she gives a wet cough once, twice, thrice before she is able to summon enough strength to lift her eyes to the boy’s face._

_**Leon**._

_His chest falls and rises on waves of adrenaline, eyes huge and pupils small. He’s shaking so badly it’s hard to see him, not helped by her quickly graying vision—the only thing she can properly make out is his wild spikes of red hair._

_. **..Leon?**_

_His shoulders jump, and he barks a high, nervous sound that might be a laugh. He staggers backward, forward, and he’s out the bathroom door before the knife hits the floor._

_**Good** , she thinks as her eyes begin drifting shut, **he didn’t see.**  Her hand falls limply against the floor, fingertips stained crimson. He might have gotten her, but she got him. She almost laughs.  **Just as planned.**_

_Just…_ )

The couple is framed nicely by the chalkboard, her playing with a lock of hair, him with his arm tight around her and his fingers in a half-hearted set of horns. Their eyes are closed and their faces are caught mid-laugh—Junko snuck behind Naegi at the last moment to drop a ridiculous wig on his head. It’s candid, silly, and absolutely…

( _Perfect._ )

**Author's Note:**

> This started as me writing a headcanon about the kids making their own yearbook, and then I realized this needed to be a fic.
> 
> Someone on Tumblr suggested the "Junko drops wigs on people's heads" headcanon, so you have them to thank for that.


End file.
